The present invention relates to a folding device for a continuous paper having rows of perforations for folding at predetermined intervals, the folding device being preferably applicable to a printing apparatus or the like.
There have been known various types of folding devices for a continuous paper. One of the folding devices is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 13054/1982. As shown in FIG. 6, the folding device is provided with an auxiliary transferring means and a sucking/ejecting means for sucking and ejecting air, which are located at both sides of a paper transferring path for a continuous paper 1 formed between the plurality of rollers 3, 3', and a paper receiving table. Namely, belts 6, 6' are respectively rotated by pulleys 7a, 7b, 7a', 7b' rotated in the directions indicated by arrow marks at a speed faster than a speed of the rollers 3, 3' for transferring the continuous paper 1. Boxes 8, 8' are respectively provided inside the belts 6, 6' which are respectively between the pulleys 7a, 7b, 7a', 7b'. Ducts 9, 9' are respectively connected to the boxes so that air is sucked into or ejected from the boxes by a blower or blowers. Reference numerals 10 designates switching between valves for switching sucking or ejecting of air through the ducts 9, 9'.
However, the conventional folding device has disadvantages as follows. The mechanism for controlling the switching valves 10 which repeats alternately the operations of sucking and ejecting air is complicated, and hence it invites a high manufacturing cost. Further, since the sucking/ejecting means consisting of the boxes 8, 8', the ducts 9, 9' and the blower 10 is installed in the auxiliary transferring means having the belts 6, 6' and the rollers 7a, 7b, 7a', 7b', the entire structure of the device is large.